A Picture Browsing System

We describe a system for storing pictures in a database and retrieving them from a remote location over a low bit-rate channel. Even with compression techniques, it takes a long time to transmit a picture, making search for a picture of desired attributes time-consuming. Our system improves the human interaction with the picture database by constructing an auxiliary text database containing a list of attributes of each picture, a hierarchical encoder-decoder, and a light pen to select the areas of picture buildup. Picture searching (or browsing) takes place in two stages: in the first stage, knowing the required picture attributes, a user selects a subset of pictures by matching attributes to the text database; in the second stage, these selected pictures are displayed hierarchically so that a low resolution picture is reproduced first and made sharper gradually. A light pen allows the user to give priority to upgrade selected areas or reject a picture. Our techniques of hierarchical coding are simple to implement. Informal tests indicate that it is much easier to browse through a picture database using this system and that the time to retrieve a picture of given attributes decreases considerably compared to sequential picture presentation.